JP2010250424A - Touch pad and touch panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology for improving a visual recognition property in a display screen by making patterns of electrodes extending in an X-Y direction hard to be viewed, in a touch pad which changes capacitance by the contact of a hand or a finger. <P>SOLUTION: Edge sides 12c, 22c of either of first or second belt shape transparent electrodes 12, 22 constituting the touch pad 1 have shapes which meet edge sides 22c, 12c of other belt shape transparent electrodes 22, 12. Either of the belt shape transparent electrodes 12, 22 is arranged to fill a part where the other of the belt shape transparent electrodes 22, 12 is formed. Besides, a plurality of floating islands 13, 23 are arranged in gaps B1, B2 which are formed between one of the first or second belt shape transparent electrodes 12, 22 and the other of the belt shape transparent electrodes 22, 12. The floating islands, are insulated from both the belt shape transparent electrodes 12, 22 and equal to or smaller than the gaps in size. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch pad that is combined with a display device such as a CRT or an LCD to form a touch panel and mainly inputs a coordinate by touching a finger, and a touch panel including the touch pad.

  A touch panel is an electronic component that combines a display device such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) and a coordinate input device such as a touch pad, and an input device that performs an input operation by pushing or sliding on the screen of the display device. It is. As an operation principle of such a touch panel, there is a capacitance method in which the position of the XY coordinates on the screen is detected from a change in capacitance due to finger contact. The touch pad used in this capacitance method insulates a plurality of transparent X electrode layers extending in the X direction on the substrate surface from a plurality of transparent Y electrode layers extending in the Y direction on the substrate surface. The X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer are opposed to each other with a spacer interposed therebetween. About these structural members, the transparent substrate is formed with glass or transparent resin, and the X electrode layer and the Y electrode layer are formed into a thin film with a transparent conductive material such as ITO.

  By the way, a thin film made of ITO or the like is slightly lower in transparency than a transparent substrate and has a slightly yellowish color, so that a pattern pattern formed by forming an electrode layer is conspicuous, and the visibility of the screen display is lowered, which is unsightly. is there. As a method for avoiding such a problem, a configuration is known in which a layer having transparency and color equivalent to the electrode layer is provided as an electrode imitation layer separately from the electrode layer in a region of the transparent substrate where the electrode layer is not formed. ing. Examples of such touch pads are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-30024 and International Publication WO 2006/126604.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-30024 International Publication WO2006 / 126604

  The touchpad is intended to make the pattern pattern of each electrode layer inconspicuous and make the screen easier to see, but the electrode layer and the electrode imitation layer are provided on almost the entire screen, and these layers deteriorate the transparency. Since there are many portions where two layers are stacked in the opposed state, the visibility of the screen may be deteriorated as a whole.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the prior art as described above. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for making a pattern pattern formed by forming electrodes inconspicuous and suppressing deterioration in transparency by preventing a decrease in transparency.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
The edge of either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode with respect to the touch pad in which the plurality of first strip-shaped transparent electrodes and the plurality of second strip-shaped transparent electrodes are arranged on the transparent insulating sheet via spacers. Has a shape along the edge of one of the other strip-shaped transparent electrodes, and either one of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes is arranged so as to fill a portion where either one of the other strip-shaped transparent electrodes is not formed. In the gap formed between either the first or second belt-like transparent electrode and the other belt-like transparent electrode, a plurality of pieces having a size equal to or smaller than the gap is insulated from the two belt-like transparent electrodes. Provided is a touch pad including a floating island portion.

  For a touch pad in which a plurality of first strip-shaped transparent electrodes and a plurality of second strip-shaped transparent electrodes are arranged on a transparent insulating sheet via a spacer, one of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes of the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode Since the edge has a shape along the edge of the other band-shaped transparent electrode, one band-shaped transparent electrode can be arranged not to overlap with the other band-shaped transparent electrode, and the shape along the other edge is maintained. However, the shape of each of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes can be arbitrarily changed. Thereby, it can be easily applied to display screens having various aspect ratios and outer frame shapes. In addition, since either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode is arranged so as to fill a portion where the other strip-shaped transparent electrode is not formed, the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode overlap each other. The portion can be reduced. Even though the transparent conductive material forming the strip-shaped transparent electrode is transparent, it is not completely transparent. Therefore, the reduction in the transparency of the touch pad can be suppressed by reducing the overlapping portions of the transparent conductive materials. The spacer corresponds to a resin film or a fixing layer that separates the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode.

  In a plan view, the gap formed between either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode and the other strip-shaped transparent electrode is insulated from both strip-shaped transparent electrodes, and the size is equal to or smaller than the gap. Since the plurality of floating island portions are provided, the floating island portion can fill a part of the gap. Therefore, differences such as transparency, refractive index, reflectance, and polarization between the gap and the portion where the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode is formed can be reduced. Thus, it is possible to make the pattern pattern generated by providing the first and second strip-shaped transparent electrodes difficult to see. Such floating island portions can be formed of substantially the same material as each band-shaped transparent electrode, and it is preferable that the floating island portion be formed of the same material as the transparent electrode.

Both the gap formed between the adjacent first band-shaped transparent electrodes and the gap formed between the adjacent second band-shaped transparent electrodes do not have a portion made of a material forming the band-shaped transparent electrode other than the floating island portion. It can be a touchpad. In both the gap formed between the adjacent first strip-shaped transparent electrodes and the gap formed between the adjacent second strip-shaped transparent electrodes, a portion made of a material for forming the strip-shaped transparent electrode is provided in addition to the floating island portion. Therefore, the overlapping part of the transparent conductive material forming the first and second strip-shaped transparent electrodes can be reduced.
That is, in a plan view, the place where the transparent conductive material is not formed is a gap between the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode, and only one layer of the transparent conductive material is formed. One of the first band-shaped transparent electrode and the second band-shaped transparent electrode, and the two layers of the transparent conductive material are laminated are the first band-shaped transparent electrode extending in the X direction and the first band-shaped transparent electrode extending in the Y direction. Only the intersection with the two-band transparent electrode can be used. And since the part in which a transparent conductive material is not formed, and the part of two layers can be decreased, the transparency of the whole touchpad can be made close to uniformity, and a pattern pattern can be made difficult to see.

  In other words, since the second band-shaped transparent electrode is arranged so as to be buried in the gap portion where the first band-shaped transparent electrode is not formed, the transparent conductive material that becomes the first band-shaped transparent electrode with almost no gap over the entire surface of the touchpad. A transparent conductive material to be the second strip-shaped transparent electrode is formed. And since there are few places where those two or more layers of transparent conductive materials were piled up, the fall of transparency can be suppressed compared with the case where two layers of transparent conductive materials are piled up in most places on a touchpad. Therefore, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the visibility of the display device.

As a specific shape of the two strip-shaped transparent electrodes, it is possible to form a shape in which a large number of diamond-shaped portions are coupled by a narrow coupling portion, and between the adjacent one of the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrodes. Both strip-shaped transparent electrodes can be arranged so that the enormous portion of the other strip-shaped transparent electrode is filled in the diamond-shaped gap formed therebetween.
That is, the first strip-shaped transparent electrode has a shape in which rhombus-shaped enormous portions are connected by a narrow-width connecting portion in plan view, and a plurality of the first strip-shaped transparent electrodes are formed in parallel. Therefore, a diamond-shaped gap surrounded by a total of four enormous portions of two adjacent first strip-shaped transparent electrodes is regularly formed along the extending direction of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode. The second strip-shaped transparent electrode is formed in the same manner as the first strip-shaped transparent electrode. Since the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode are laminated so that one large portion fills the gap between the other large portions, the strip-shaped transparent electrode should be placed on the entire surface of the touchpad with almost no gap. The pattern pattern of the strip-shaped transparent electrode can be made inconspicuous.

In addition, since the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode having such a shape are laminated so that the connecting portions intersect each other, the area where the electrodes overlap in a plan view can be reduced, and the parasitic capacitance can be increased. Can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to accurately detect a change in capacity due to finger contact, and to increase the sensitivity of the input operation.
Furthermore, since the enormous portion is formed in a rhombus shape, the vertical and horizontal sensitivities can always be kept constant with respect to a display device in which the vertical and horizontal directions of the display screen can be formed in various combinations. . Since the rhombus can change the length of the diagonal line orthogonal to each other by adjusting the angle of the adjacent inner angle, even if the display device is formed in any length or width, By adjusting the lengths in the vertical and horizontal directions, it is easy to form the same number of first and second strip transparent electrodes, and the number of both electrodes can be easily increased or decreased. Because. Thereby, adjustment of the sensitivity of input operation can also be performed easily.
The enormous part can raise the detection accuracy of the position where the finger touches by making the rhombus shape close to a square. In this case, you may form the number of electrodes of a 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode and a 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode in a different number.

  A floating island part can be provided in the vicinity along the edge of any one of the 1st or 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode. Since the floating island portion is provided in the vicinity of at least one of the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode, the floating island portion is positioned in a gap generated between the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode. be able to. Moreover, the place where the floating island part is not provided in such a gap can be reduced. Here, “near” means that it is away from and close to the edge of the strip-shaped transparent electrode.

The floating island portions provided in the vicinity thereof along the edge of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the floating island portions provided in the vicinity thereof along the edge of the second strip-shaped transparent electrode can be alternately arranged.
A floating island portion can be provided in the vicinity of only one of the first and second strip-shaped transparent electrodes, but the floating island portion can be provided in the vicinity of both the first and second strip-shaped transparent electrodes. Is preferable in that the number of places where no band-like transparent electrode or floating island portion is formed can be reduced. Furthermore, if the floating island portions provided in the vicinity of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode and the floating island portions provided in the vicinity of the second strip-shaped transparent electrode are alternately arranged, the location where the strip-shaped transparent electrode and the floating island portions are not formed at all is further increased. In addition to the points that can be reduced, the number of overlapping portions can be reduced. Therefore, the pattern pattern can be made more difficult to see.

A floating island part can be made into cyclic | annular shapes, such as circular shape and elliptical shape, by planar view. If the floating island portion is annular, the floating island portion provided along the edge of the first belt-like transparent electrode and the floating island portion provided along the edge of the second belt-like transparent electrode are less likely to overlap than in the case where the floating island portion is rectangular. Can do. Therefore, the pattern pattern can be made inconspicuous.
In the case of a polygonal shape such as a rectangular shape, it is necessary to set the orientation with respect to the band-shaped transparent electrode, which makes it difficult to arrange compared to a circular shape. From this point of view, it is more preferable to use a circular shape in an annular shape because it is not necessary to consider the orientation and the arrangement is easy.

Any one of the touches having a transparent first resin film having a first strip-shaped transparent electrode and a transparent second resin film having a second strip-shaped transparent electrode, and laminating each resin film via a fixing layer It can be a pad.
Since the resin film provided with the band-shaped transparent electrode is fixed by the fixing layer, it can be a thin and light touchpad, and can be easily attached to a portable electronic device. Further, if a flexible resin film is used, the touch pad can be curved and can be mounted on a display screen formed with a non-flat curved surface.

  Furthermore, for a touch pad in which a plurality of first strip-shaped transparent electrodes and a plurality of second strip-shaped transparent electrodes are arranged on a transparent insulating sheet via spacers, either the first or the second in a plan view A touch characterized by providing an annular floating island portion that is insulated from both of the band-like transparent electrodes and has a size equal to or smaller than the gap in the gap formed between the band-like transparent electrode and one of the other band-like transparent electrodes. Provide a pad.

  The gap formed between either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode and the other strip-shaped transparent electrode in plan view is insulated from both strip-shaped transparent electrodes and has a size equal to or smaller than the gap. Since the annular floating island portion is provided, overlapping of the floating island portions can be suppressed and a part of the gap can be filled. Therefore, differences such as transparency, refractive index, reflectance, and polarization between the gap and the portion where the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode is formed can be reduced. And the pattern pattern which arises by providing a 1st and 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode can be made hard to see. The floating island portion can be formed of substantially the same material as each band-shaped transparent electrode and is preferably formed of the same material as the transparent electrode.

It can be set as a touch panel provided with a display apparatus and one of the said touchpads mounted | worn on the screen of this display apparatus.
Since it is a touch panel comprising the display device and any one of the touchpads mounted on the screen of the display device, it is possible to increase the sensitivity of the input operation by accurately detecting the capacitance change due to the touch of the finger, In addition, it is possible to obtain a touch pad in which the pattern of the band-shaped transparent electrode is not noticeable. For this reason, it is possible to realize a touch panel that can prevent deterioration of the visibility of the screen of the display device and can perform an input operation accurately.

  According to the touchpad of the present invention and the touch panel including the touchpad, an increase in parasitic capacitance is suppressed by reducing an area of a portion where both electrodes overlap in a plan view, and a capacitance change due to finger contact is accurately detected. The sensitivity of input operation can be increased. And, the strip-shaped transparent electrode is arranged on the entire surface of the touchpad with almost no gap, and the floating island part is also arranged in the gap, thereby making it difficult to see the pattern pattern formed by the formation of the strip-like transparent electrode and improving the visibility of the display screen. Can do.

The SA-SA sectional view of Drawing 7 showing the touch pad of a 1st embodiment. The enlarged plan view showing the 1st beltlike transparent electrode of the touchpad of a 1st embodiment. The enlarged plan view which shows one 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the site | part corresponded to area | region R1 of FIG. The enlarged plan view which shows the 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the touchpad of 1st Embodiment. The enlarged plan view which shows one 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the site | part corresponded to area | region R2 of FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded explanatory view of the touch pad of FIG. 1. The partial enlarged plan view which shows the lamination | stacking state of each electrode in the touchpad of 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the state from which the magnitude | size of the clearance gap between a 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode and a 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode changed, a partial figure (A) is a state with an appropriate gap, and a partial figure (B) is a gap Is a wide state, and the partial drawing (C) is a state where the gap is narrow. The enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 3 which shows the 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the touchpad of 2nd Embodiment. The enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 5 which shows the 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the touchpad of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged plan view corresponding to FIG. 7 illustrating a stacked state of electrodes in a touch pad according to a second embodiment. Sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 1 of the touchpad of 3rd Embodiment. The enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 2 which shows the 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the touchpad of 3rd Embodiment. The enlarged plan view equivalent to FIG. 4 which shows the 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode of the touchpad of 3rd Embodiment. The elements on larger scale in FIG. 7 which show the lamination | stacking state of each electrode in the touchpad of 4th Embodiment. Sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 1 which shows the touchpad of a modification. The elements on larger scale corresponding to FIG. 7 which show the lamination | stacking state of each electrode in the touchpad of another modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the site | part and material which are common in each embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and duplication description is abbreviate | omitted.

First Embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 7) :
As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the touch pad 1 of the present embodiment includes a first resin film 11 including a first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12, a second resin film 21 including a second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22, and a substrate. The film 31 includes a laminated structure in which the films 11, 21, 31 are fixed by a fixing layer 41. Each of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 is connected to an external electric circuit via a lead wire (not shown), and is combined with a display device such as a CRT or an LCD in a capacitance type or resistance. It can be used as a touch panel.

The first resin film 11 is an insulating transparent transparent insulating sheet, and a first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and a floating island portion 13 provided around the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 are provided on the surface thereof. Is formed. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged plan view of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 provided on the first resin film 11. 2 is a plan view seen from the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 side, unlike FIG.
The first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 extends in one direction (lateral direction in FIGS. 2 and 3) and is parallel to the adjacent first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12. As shown in FIG. 3, one first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 has a shape in which rhombus-shaped enormous portions 12 a are connected by linear connecting portions 12 b in plan view.
The floating island portions 13 are formed in a circular shape, and are arranged in a row in the vicinity thereof along the edge 12c of the enormous portion 12a. The floating island portion 13 has substantially the same transparency as the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12.

The second resin film 21 is a transparent transparent insulating sheet having an insulating property like the first resin film. As shown in FIG. 4, the second belt-like transparent electrode 22 and the second belt-like transparent electrode are formed on the surface thereof. The floating island part 23 provided in the periphery of 22 is formed.
The second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 extends in a direction orthogonal to the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 (vertical direction in FIGS. 4 and 5), and the shape thereof is the same as that of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 as shown in FIG. Moreover, the enormous portion 22a having a rhombus shape in plan view is connected by a linear connecting portion 22b. The floating island portion 23 is also formed in a circular shape like the floating island portion 13, arranged in a row in the vicinity along the edge 22 c of the enormous portion 22 a, and has substantially the same transparency as the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22. is doing.

  The substrate film 31 is a transparent resin film and is a member that serves as a base material for the touch pad 1. The fixing layer 41 is made of a transparent adhesive, and is fixed between the first resin film 11 and the second resin film 21 and between the second resin film 21 and the substrate film 31 to fix each member integrally. is doing. The fixing layer 41 between the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 also functions as a spacer that separates the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the touch pad 1 is assembled so that the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 intersect with each other, and as shown in a region R3 in FIG. The first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 intersect the connecting portions 12b and 22b at right angles, and a gap B1 generated by being surrounded by the enormous portion 12a of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 is formed as the second strip-shaped transparent electrode. The enormous portion 22a of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 is buried in the gap B2 that is surrounded by the enormous portion 22a of the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22. And it arrange | positions so that the floating island parts 13 and 23 may not mutually overlap in the clearance gap B3 of the enormous part 12a and enormous part 22a which may still fill up mutually gap B1 and B2, as shown by area | region R4 of FIG. Is done. The gaps B1 and B2 are not provided with the adjusting portions 92d and 102d in the example described later.

The material of each member constituting the touch pad 1 will be described.
As the material of the first resin film 11, the second resin film 21, and the substrate film 31, a highly transparent resin can be used. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) resin, polycarbonate (PC) resin, methacryl (PMMA) resin, polypropylene (PP) resin, polyurethane (PU) resin, polyamide (PA) resin, polyether Examples include sulfone (PES) resin and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) resin.

A metal oxide capable of forming a transparent layer can be used as the material of the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22. For example, indium tin oxide (ITO), zinc oxide, indium oxide, antimony-added tin oxide, fluorine-added tin oxide, aluminum-added zinc oxide, potassium-added zinc oxide, silicon-added zinc oxide, zinc oxide-tin oxide system, indium oxide- Examples include various transparent conductive materials such as tin oxide, zinc oxide-indium oxide-magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide film.
The floating island portions 13 and 23 can be formed of the same material as the respective strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22. This is because if the same material is used, it can be formed by printing or the like simultaneously with the respective strip-like transparent electrodes 12 and 22, and the transparency thereof is easy to form. However, in order to finely adjust the transparency, it is possible to use the same material, change the presence or absence of an additive mixed with the same, the amount of addition, or use a different material.

  The fixing layer 41 may be a transparent adhesive that can fix the resin films 11, 21, 31 to each other. Examples thereof include acrylic adhesives, urethane adhesives, and epoxy adhesives. In some cases, double-sided tape or the like may be used.

The formation of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 and the floating island portions 13 and 23 on the resin films 11 and 21 is performed by a plating method such as a vacuum deposition method, a sputtering method, or an ion plating method, a plating method such as a CVD method, coating, Examples include printing. The thicknesses of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 and the floating island portions 13 and 23 are approximately 5 nm to 100 nm.
Printing is preferable in that the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 and the floating island portions 13 and 23 can be formed simultaneously. Even when plating, printing, or coating is used, after forming a thin film to be the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 and the floating islands 13 and 23 on the resin films 11 and 21, an extra portion is formed by laser or etching. The strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 and the floating island portions 13 and 23 having a desired shape can be obtained.

  In manufacturing the touchpad, to completely fill the gap surrounded by either one of the enormous portions 12a, 22a of the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode 12, 22 and the other enormous portion 22a, 12a. Requires a high-precision manufacturing technique, and the yield deteriorates. In addition, if there is a slight shift in the overlapping position, the overlapping portion between one enormous portion 12a, 22a and the other enormous portion 22a, 12a increases, the parasitic capacitance increases, and the input operation sensitivity deteriorates. However, the size of the other enormous portion 22a, 12a is made smaller than the gap B1, B2 surrounded by the enormous portion 12a, 22a of either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode 12, 22; Since the gap B3 is formed between the first band-like transparent electrode 12 and the second band-like transparent electrode 22, and the floating island portions 13 and 23 smaller than the gap B3 are provided, the first or second band-like transparent electrode 12 is provided. , 22 and one of the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12, 22 are not easily overlapped with each other, and an increase in parasitic capacitance is suppressed and input operation is suppressed. Sensitivity can be increased.

FIG. 8A shows a case where the gap B3 between the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 is appropriately opened. This gap B3 is. 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, preferably around 0.3 mm. This is because the overlay accuracy of the first film 11 and the second film 21 is often about plus or minus 0.3 mm, and is based on the size of the finger to be operated. In addition, the diameter of the floating island portions 13 and 23 is equal to or less than the size of the gap B3, preferably 50% to 100%, more preferably 60% to 70% of the size of the gap B3. If the diameter of the floating islands 13 and 23 is too small, the area that fills the gap B will be small, and if it is too large, the floating islands 13 and 23 or the overlapping part between the floating islands 13 and 23 and the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 will be formed. Because it becomes too big.
The floating island portion 13 provided in the vicinity along the edge 12c of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 is between a position slightly away from the edge 12c of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and a position away from the gap B3. The space can be provided, but is preferably separated from the edge piece 12c by a length of 30% to 40% of the length of the gap B3. This is to reduce the occurrence of a portion that does not overlap with the overlapping portion of the electrode pattern even if a positional shift occurs when the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 are overlapped.
The same applies when the floating island portion 23 is provided in the vicinity of the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 along the edge piece 22c.

When such floating island portions 13 and 23 are provided, the gap B3 between the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 is not limited to the state shown in FIG. Even when the state shown in FIG. 8B, which is slightly open, or the state shown in FIG. 8C, where the gap B3 is slightly narrower than this, the strip-like transparent electrodes 12, 22 and It is possible to prevent the overlapping portions of the floating island portions 13 and 23 and the portions where the band-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 and the floating island portions 13 and 23 are not formed from being enlarged.
In addition, since the floating island portions 13 and 23 are insulated away from the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22, the stacking positions of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 22 are shifted as described above. However, parasitic capacitance is unlikely to occur.

  And since there is no site | part made from the material which forms the strip | belt-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 22 other than the floating island parts 12b and 22b between the adjacent 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrodes 12 or between the adjacent 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrodes 22. As compared with the prior art in which materials for forming such an electrode are laminated in a wide range, it is possible to suppress a decrease in transparency and to prevent a deterioration in the visibility of a display device.

Second Embodiment (FIGS. 9 to 11) :
The touch pad 51 of this embodiment also has the same stacked configuration as the touch pad 1 shown in the previous embodiment. The difference from the touch pad 1 is the shapes of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 62 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 72.
As shown in FIG. 9, the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 62 has a shape formed by a massive portion 62a having a rectangular shape whose edge 62c is an elliptical arc and a connecting portion 62b that connects the massive portion 62a. As shown in FIG. 10, the two-band transparent electrode 72 has an elliptical enormous portion 72a having an edge 72c formed by an arc shaped along the edge 62c of the first band-shaped transparent electrode 62 and a connection connecting the enormous portion 72a. It has a shape composed of a portion 72b. The first strip-shaped transparent electrode 62 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 72 intersect at right angles to form the pattern shown in FIG.

  Even if the shape of the enlarged portion 62a of the first belt-like transparent electrode 62 and the shape of the enlarged portion 72a of the second belt-like transparent electrode 72 are different as in the touch pad 51, the edge pieces of one of the belt-like transparent electrodes 62 and 72 are different. Since 62c, 72c has a relative shape along the edge pieces 72c, 62c of the other strip-shaped transparent electrodes 72, 62, the overlapping portion of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 62 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 72 in plan view The pattern pattern generated in the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 62 and 72 and the floating island portions 63 and 73 can be made difficult to see.

Third Embodiment (FIGS. 12 to 14) :
A cross-sectional view of the touch pad 81 of this embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the touch pad 81 is provided with adjusting portions 92d and 92d for adjusting the appearance of the pattern pattern in the gap B1 surrounded by the enormous portion 92a of the two adjacent first strip-shaped transparent electrodes 92. Yes. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, adjustment units 102 d and 102 d for adjusting the appearance of the pattern pattern are provided in the gap B <b> 2 surrounded by the enormous portion 102 a of the two adjacent second strip-shaped transparent electrodes 102. In these points, the gaps B1 and B2 are different from the above-described touchpads 1 and 51 in which nothing is provided other than the floating island portions 13, 23, 63, and 73. The adjusting portions 92d and 102d can also be formed of the same material as the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 92 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 102.

  The adjustment parts 92d and 102d need to be insulated from the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 92 and 102 in the same manner as the floating island parts 13, 23, 63 and 73. Further, the adjustment units 92d and 102d shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 are examples, and can be changed to other shapes. The adjustment portions 92d and 102d can be formed of the same material as the floating island portions 13, 23, 63, and 73.

  Like the touch pad 81, the enormous portion 62a of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 62 and the adjustment portion 102d formed in the gap B2 between the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 72 overlap, and the enormous portion 72a of the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 72 And the adjustment portion 92d formed in the gap B1 between the first strip-shaped transparent electrodes 62 overlap, so that the entire touch pad 81 has a portion where the transparent conductive material is formed in two layers. For this reason, although the transparency of the touch pad 81 is generally inferior to the case where the transparent conductive material is formed of a single layer, it can have almost uniform transparency as a whole, making the pattern pattern difficult to see. Yes.

Fourth Embodiment [FIG. 16] :
A cross-sectional view of the touch pad 111 of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, the touch pad 111 has a plurality of second strip-shaped transparent electrodes 113 formed in a line like the plurality of first strip-shaped transparent electrodes 112 formed in a line, and two types thereof. A circular floating island portion 114 is provided in a gap B4 formed by overlapping the belt-like transparent electrodes 112 and 113.
In the touch pad 111, since the enormous portion is not formed, the mesh formed by the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 112 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 113 is the gap B4 as it is, but the floating island portion 114 is provided in the gap B4. It is possible to make it difficult to see pattern patterns generated in the strip-shaped transparent electrodes 112 and 113 and the floating island portion 114.

Modification [FIGS. 16 and 17] :
The touchpads 1, 51, 81, and 111 shown in the above embodiments can be modified as follows.
First, an example in which the first resin film 11 is provided with the first belt-like transparent electrode and the second resin film 21 is provided with the second belt-like transparent electrode has been shown, but the first belt-like transparent electrode is provided on one surface of one resin film, A second strip-shaped transparent electrode can be provided on the other surface. As a result, the use of the resin film can be reduced, and the touchpad can be made thinner.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 16, a pattern pattern can also be provided on the surface of each of the first and second resin films 11 and 21. In this case, since the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12 is exposed on the surface of the touch pad 115, it is preferable to provide an overcoat film 116 that protects the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 12.
Further, the substrate film 31 may be omitted.

The floating island portions 13 and 63 are provided on the first resin film 11 along the edges 12a and 62a of the first strip-shaped transparent electrodes 12 and 62, and the floating island portions 23 and 73 are disposed on the edges 22a and 72a of the second strip-shaped transparent electrodes 22 and 72. Although it provided on the 2nd resin film 21 along, it is good also as providing only one of the floating island parts.
Further, the shape and size of the floating island can be changed as appropriate, and two or more rows instead of one row along the edge pieces 12c, 22c, 62c, 72c of the enormous portions 12a, 22a, 62a, 72a. Can be provided. Moreover, although the shape illustrated the round shape, it can be set as the arbitrary shapes which are not circular, a rectangular shape, a polygon shape, and other outer edges do not have a fixed shape other than a circular shape.

  The size of the floating island portion does not need to be uniform, and can be a size in which the sizes are mixed. FIG. 17 shows a touch pad 121 in which a plurality of floating island parts 133a, 133b, 143a, and 143b having different sizes are provided on the enormous square parts 132a and 142a. This touch pad 121 includes floating island portions 133a and 143a having a large diameter of about 50% of the length of the gap B3 between the enormous portions 132a and 142a of the first strip-shaped transparent electrode 132 and the second strip-shaped transparent electrode 142, and the gap Floating island portions 133b and 143b having a diameter of about 15% of B3 are formed. By assembling floating island portions of different sizes, it is preferable in that the portion where floating island portions are not arranged can be further reduced.

  In addition to the above layers, other layers can be arbitrarily provided as necessary. For example, it is also possible to provide various layers such as a colored layer for imparting a color as a whole, a layer for changing or polarizing the light refractive index, and a protective layer for protecting the surface.

1 Touchpad (first embodiment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 1st resin film 12 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode 12a Enlarged part 12b Connection part 12c Edge 13 Floating island part 21 2nd resin film 22 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode 22a Enlarged part 22b Connection part 22c Edge 23 Floating island part 31 Substrate film (transparent substrate) )
41 Adhesive Layer 51 Touch Pad (Second Embodiment)
62 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode 62a Enlarged part 62b Connection part 62c Edge 63 Floating island part 72 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode 72a Enlarged part 72b Connection part 72c Edge 73 Floating island part 81 Touchpad (3rd Embodiment)
92 1st strip-shaped transparent electrode 92a Enlarged part 92b Connection part 92c Edge 92d Adjustment part 93 Floating island part 102 2nd strip-shaped transparent electrode 102a Enlarged part 102b Connection part 102c Edge 102d Adjustment part 103 Floating island part 111 Touch pad (4th Embodiment)
112 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode 113 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode 114 Floating island part 115 Touchpad (modification)
116 Overcoat film 121 Touchpad (another modification)
132 1st band-shaped transparent electrode 132a Enlarged part 132b Connection part 132c Edge 133 Floating island part 142 2nd band-like transparent electrode 142a Enlarged part 142b Connection part 142c Edge 143 Floating island part R1 to R5 area B1 Surrounded by the enormous part of the first band-shaped transparent electrode B2 Gap surrounded by the enormous part of the second band-shaped transparent electrode B3 Gap between the enormous part of the first band-shaped transparent electrode and the enormous part of the second band-shaped transparent electrode B4 The first band-shaped transparent electrode and the second band-shaped transparent Gap between electrodes

Claims (8)

In a touchpad in which a plurality of first strip-shaped transparent electrodes and a plurality of second strip-shaped transparent electrodes are arranged on a transparent insulating sheet via a spacer,
The first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode has a shape along the edge of the other strip-shaped transparent electrode, and either one of the strip-shaped transparent electrodes forms the other strip-shaped transparent electrode. It is arranged to fill the part that is not done,
The gap formed between either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode and the other strip-shaped transparent electrode in plan view is insulated from both strip-shaped transparent electrodes and has a size equal to or smaller than the gap. A touchpad comprising a plurality of floating island portions.   Both the gap formed between the adjacent first band-shaped transparent electrodes and the gap formed between the adjacent second band-shaped transparent electrodes do not have a portion made of a material forming the band-shaped transparent electrode other than the floating island portion. The touchpad according to claim 1.   The band-shaped transparent electrodes have a shape in which rhombus-shaped enormous portions are connected by a narrow connection portion, and a diamond-shaped gap formed between adjacent first or second band-shaped transparent electrodes The touchpad according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two strip-shaped transparent electrodes are arranged so that the enormous portion of the other strip-shaped transparent electrode is buried.   The touchpad according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a floating island portion is provided in the vicinity of at least one of the first and second strip-shaped transparent electrodes.   The floating island part provided in the vicinity along the edge of the 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode and the floating island part provided in the vicinity along the edge of the 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode are arrange | positioned alternately. The touchpad according to claim 1.   It has a transparent 1st resin film provided with a 1st strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode, and a transparent 2nd resin film provided with a 2nd strip | belt-shaped transparent electrode, and each resin film is laminated | stacked through a fixed layer. Item 6. The touchpad according to any one of items 5. In a touchpad in which a plurality of first strip-shaped transparent electrodes and a plurality of second strip-shaped transparent electrodes are arranged on a transparent insulating sheet via a spacer,
The gap formed between either the first or second strip-shaped transparent electrode and the other strip-shaped transparent electrode in plan view is insulated from both strip-shaped transparent electrodes and has a size equal to or smaller than the gap. A touchpad characterized by an annular floating island.   A touch panel comprising: a display device; and the touch pad according to any one of claims 1 to 7 mounted on a screen of the display device.

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